Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs

April 6, 2020: Farm Pond Parking Lot Closed: To further encourage social distancing and discourage the use of the Skate Park and Farm Pond Woodland Playground, the City has closed the Farm Pond parking lot effective immediately. According to infectious disease experts, the fastest way to slow down the virus is by limiting contact with people through social distancing (staying at least six-feet apart), washing hands, and disinfecting areas that are frequently touched. The Centers for Disease Control suggests that wearing cloth face masks in public could also help slow the spread. The City will continue to monitor the situation and reevaluate the closure regularly.

March 30, 2020: The Parks & Recreation Administration Building, Maintenance & Operation Building, Callahan Senior Center, Loring Arena, and all other Parks & Recreation buildings remain closed to the public until May 4, 2020. All recreation activities and permits for facilities have been postponed as well.

March 20, 2020: PLAYGROUND, PARK, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL FACILITY USAGE IMPORTANT NOTICE

All City of Framingham Playgrounds, Tennis Courts, Basketball Courts, Skatepark, and Bowditch Track remain CLOSED until further notice. The health and safety of park users is our top priority. Open Parks and Trails will remain open for passive use and we encourage users to practice social distancing while enjoying nature. Maintenance in our parks will continue.

The City of Framingham is taking action to minimize exposure to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in our public spaces throughout our community. We are following the safety recommendations as outlined in the State of Emergency declaration by Governor Charlie Baker and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Mission

The purpose of the Framingham Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department is to create recreation opportunities, preserve open space, manage public athletic fields and parks, and administer recreation programs and facilities for the varied population of Framingham.

Recreational Programming

We provide over 300 formal programs geared towards Framingham’s diverse community. Services are provided through a combination of user fees and public tax dollars. Last year, we had just over 25,000 users in our formal programming.

Recreation program fees are established to cover the cost of each individual program (cost vary). For a list of our programs visit the Parks and Recreation website.

All of our programs are available to Framingham residents. Non-residents may apply for certain programs for an additional fee. Obtain information about a program or to register. Please feel free to visit our office located at the Bowditch Field Athletic and Cultural Complex at 475 Union Avenue, Framingham, Ma.

Parks, Athletic Fields & Recreation Facilities

Framingham Parks and & Recreation offers a wide variety of facilities for its residents and surrounding community including:

3 public beaches
8 Outdoor Basketball Courts
16 Outdoor Tennis Courts
25 Playgrounds
64 Athletic Fields for a variety of sports, permit required for use.
A Football Stadium, permit required for use.
Running Track (standard 1/4 mile)
Cross Country Running Trail
Indoor Ice Skating Arena
Outdoor Skate Park
Many passive recreation areas

The department has hosted over 14,000 events/activities at their facilities this past year. To request a permit or more info on our facilities please contact our office directly at 508-532-5960 or Email Parks.recreation@framinghamma.gov.

Parks & Recreation Commission

Policies for all recreation programming and facilities are determined by the Framingham Parks and Recreation Commission, which consists of a 5-member board appointed by the Mayor.

Current Board Members are: